


Phoenix

by mysteriousgemstone (orphan_account)



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Asphyxiation, Bittersweet Ending, Burns, Coma, Destruction, Electrocution, Gen, Hurt Lance, Lance whump, Mild Fluff, Self-Sacrifice, Team Feels, Volcanic Eruption, Whump, but just enjoy the bittersweet fluff, kind of cliche/done-already ending
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-21
Updated: 2020-11-21
Packaged: 2021-03-10 05:28:07
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,477
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27658165
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/mysteriousgemstone
Summary: Lance sacrifices himself to save an innocent life and pays the ultimate price.
Relationships: Allura & Coran & Hunk & Keith & Lance & Pidge | Katie Holt & Shiro, Lance (Voltron) & Everyone
Comments: 4
Kudos: 43





	Phoenix

“Here, it’s okay, we just cross this bridge and Mama will take care of you” soothed Lance to the little crying alien girl in his arms, her curly antenna brushing his chin.

The denizens of this planet had sent a distress call to Voltron as their great volcano, previously thought dormant, had suddenly begun to erupt into toxic lava. It was truly a disaster and they were doing the best they could to pick up the pieces.

“Lancey’s got you. Just a few more steps…”

The old wooden bridge creaked dangerously. The bubbling lava was so close below them. It sounded like something was being pulled taught, about to snap.

“Hurry, Lance! The bridge won’t last!” shouted Allura desperately from the other side. Pidge and Shiro sprinted to the scene, Hunk and Keith rescuing more citizens further away. The little girl’s mother frantically spoke her native tongue unintelligibly. They could only make out the word “baby.

The tiny alien cried harder.

“Shh shh. Mama’s right there” said Lance.

The bridge protested their reunion, squeaking and creaking louder and louder until…

“No! It’s gonna- someone catch her!” cried Lance.

The child’s mother ran to the edge without hesitation, calling for the only thing that mattered in her life now.

“I’m sorry” whispered Lance to the child. Then he tossed her towards her mama, praying that she would make it.

The bridge collapsed in half and Lance, through his comrades’ screams, could hear the mother successfully catch her baby and sob in relief.

Then his senses went white.

“No! _LANCE!”_ screamed Pidge.

They watched as he began to fall. He held on to his half of the bridge by his shoes, gripped between the wooden planks. But his upper half pitched face-first into the lava. His arms flailed and eventually became submerged as well as he tried to break his fall.

They didn’t even have time to hear a scream.

“Is he- is it too late?! Can we?!- Wait, Shiro, no!” yelled Pidge.

She grabbed Shiro’s arm to hold him back because he was looking like he was about to go for a dive.

“You’ll only get yourself killed, you know better!” she scolded him.

“I know, I just- Pidge, your bayard! It’s a whip, it’s long. Can you pull him over?”

Pidge’s eyes widened. “Yeah! But… it’s electric…”

“It’s all we’ve got.”

So the green paladin readied herself and cast her whip like a fishing line. It wrapped around Lance’s waist and she yanked. His body was flung towards her and she barely dodged him as he hit the ground.

His limbs twitched and spasmed as he was shocked.

“Shit!” cursed Pidge. She pulled the whip back into her bayard, unraveling Lance in the process.

Shiro knelt behind Lance and put his head into his lap to stabilize him. It was a severe shame that his helmet had been damaged and discarded earlier.

“Oh man, it’s bad Shiro. His whole face is all burnt up- some of that toxic acid is still stuck to him!”

Shiro nodded towards Lance’s forearms. “There, too. We need to remove it but considering it’s danger… I haven’t any ideas.”

What was visible of Lance’s skin- mainly his neck- was so pale.

And blueish.

“Shiro, I don’t think he’s breathing…”

Shiro went into mission-mode. He felt Lance’s pulse and ran his hand along his throat. “He has a pulse but I think the lava’s suffocating him. Damn. We need a knife.”

Pidge gulped. “A knife?” She thought of Keith’s bayard- surely a sword would do- and spoke to him through her helmet.

“Keith? Do you copy? We need your sword over here stat. It’s life or death!”

“Got it. Be there in a second!” panted Keith, his running audible.

A short moment later Keith arrived and gaped his mouth open like a fish, horrified at the terrible sight.

“Quick, Keith, you need to make a little cut here” ordered Shiro. Keith hesitated for a beat until kneeling next to Lance. He was pretty sure he knew where this was going. He raised his bayard and touched the tip to Lance’s throat.

Pidge looked away.

Looking back a moment later the cut was blocked from view by Shiro’s hand but Pidge could hear Lance breathing.

Allura had been completely silent the entire time. They almost forgot she was there. She was feeling many things now, mostly helplessness. She _begged_ Coran to let her go down and help the rescue despite the danger and yet here they were.

She walked forward.

“Before we move him I want to try to heal him.”

“Princess, you can do that?” asked Shiro.

“As a Sacred I just may be able to. Let me try.”

Allura took Shiro’s place. Her Altean marks and hands began glow a soft, soothing blue. She cupped the sides of Lance’s face and his small tremors eased. Any toxic lava still on his body dissolved into nothingness.

“That _may_ have bought time. Now we need to move” said Allura. She wavered as she stood, the use of her powers weakening her slightly.

Hunk’s reaction to seeing the state of his best friend was understandable. He insisted on staying right next to Lance as they rushed to the castle ship.

“It’s okay, bud, we’re almost there. We’re gonna fix you all up and then I’ll make a huge batch of actually-good-tasting cookies, all for you” promised Hunk tearfully. Lance seemed to be unconscious and as such didn’t respond, but it was certainly for the best to spare him the pain.

“First we should just get him into a cryopod right away. The healing function, not the freezing function, mind you. Not that the poor boy couldn’t use some cooling down right about now” chattered Coran when they’d all arrived at the castle, trying to lighten the mood a bit.

“It’s probably going to be quite a while before he’ll be able to wake this time, despite my healing” explained Allura. Coran looked concerned about Allura expending her energy on a healing attempt but kept quiet on the matter.

It was a lonely day and a half without Lance. They set up a couple of chairs next to his cryopod as his friends insisted on checking on him periodically.

“He doesn’t look like he’s getting better” Hunk frowned.

“Yeah” sighed Pidge. “But these readings on the cryopod are fascinating. I can see his heart rate. It’s a little fast but not dangerously fast. I think those at the top are brainwaves. They’re pretty inactive but every once in a while they spike.”

“Uh oh... do you mean he’s been waking up and we didn’t even notice?” asked Hunk.

Coran came over and shook his head. “No, I believe he’s simply dreaming.”

“Oh… I hope they’re good dreams.”

Later Pidge and Hunk took a break and Keith and Shiro took their places.

“I don’t know if you can hear me, Lance, but it must have taken a lot of courage to do what you did” said Shiro to the cryopod. Keith nodded.

“Yeah. I mean, you did get dipped in lava like fries into ketchup, but at least you’re still here” said Keith.

“Keith” chided Shiro quietly. Though, with his own brand of dark humor, he wasn’t much better.

“Seriously, though, the blue lion _did_ pick a courageous paladin. Even if we like to push your buttons” said Keith.

The brainwave activity seen on the side of the pod increased. Shiro and Keith looked at each other.

-

“No, no this _can’t_ be!” cried Allura. “I must’ve- this is all my fault, I should have used more of my power!”

“Princess, what’s happening?” asked Coran urgently.

“Look” croaked Allura, pointing to the cryopod display. “It’s finished it’s analysis. You know as well as I do what that code means.”

Coran squinted at the display before his eyes widened. “No” he whispered.

“I should have used more of my power” repeated Allura.

“Allura, this has nothing to do with you. No amount of your power could have combatted this. What matters now is... how we move forward. How we… break this to everyone.”

-

“Are you saying there’s nothing we can do? He’s _dying_ and there’s nothing we can do?!” cried Hunk.

“I thought these stupid pods were supposed to actually work! The readings look find to me! Why can’t we just leave things as they are and see if he improves?” asked Pidge.

“Maybe Allura could try her magic a little harder” said Keith, almost accusatory.

Coran stepped in front of Allura protectively. “Absolutely not! As I’ve said, the toxins are almost completely impervious to the Princess’s abilities! You will not be guilting her into hurting herself on my watch!”

“Coran’s right” insisted Shiro. Then he turned his attention to the pod. “Oh, Lance…” sighed Shiro, putting a hand on the cryopod. “You were so selfless. You don’t deserve this.”

Hunk wiped his eyes. “So… this stuff just won’t leave his system?”

“Like a constant infection... from a foreign body that can never be removed” realized Pidge.

“Yes, as we told you” said Coran. “Even the cryopod cannot keep Lance alive forever against such agressive toxins. And I cannot guarantee that his remaining time won’t be painful. He may feel it in his sleep.”

Keith’s hands balled into fists. “Then just take him out of it already! It’ll be over quicker.”

“But that’s murder!” said Pidge.

“Like pulling the plug…” said Hunk. “No, Pidge, I honestly think I agree with Keith. I’ve known Lance since we were kids and, even though he says silly things like he wants to be preserved as an A.I., I don’t think he’d want to prolong it this way. Especially if it’s painful.”

Pidge hung her head. “Are we really going to do this?” she asked in a small voice. “Shiro?”

Shiro agreed with Hunk and Keith. In the end everyone did.

So they took Lance out of the cryopod and said their goodbyes.

-

Shiro gently rested his hand on Lance’s head. He ruffled his brown hair.

Lance was wrapped up in warm blankets in his own bed. His face and arms were all bandaged up so his wounds would be more comfortable. His eyes were uncovered but they were closed, his dark lashes fluttering slightly in his sleep. Soft breaths from the tube in his throat were slower by the minute.

He unconsciously leaned his head into Shiro’s soothing touch.

“You did an amazing job, Lance. Your care saved lives. We’re proud of you” said Shiro.

“After fighting alongside you I’ve really come to appreciate how smart you are, even though you’re a big goofball” chuckled Pidge.

“I’m gonna… I’m gonna miss your laugh” said Hunk. He couldn’t help his tears falling. “You just bring so much joy when you walk into the room. We’ve had so much fun together. I don’t wanna let go.”

“When I tried to heal you I felt connected to you” said Allura. “I felt so much _passion_ in your quintessence. A love for the excitement of life. I’m sure that’s rubbed off on all of us” she smiled.

Keith held Lance’s hand. “You’re a great partner. You always have my back. It’s kind of… _fun,_ sometimes, to scrap with each other, but there’s never been a more reliable teammate.”

Coran took turns with Shiro fluffing Lance’s hair. “I will truly miss the nights we shared talking, Number 3. Relaxing under the planetary projections, reminiscing on loved ones lost and still waiting for us.”

Allura held Lance’s face.

“Goodnight, my paladin.”

She kissed Lance’s forehead.

Altean marks glowed through his bandages.

“Woah- is he-?!” asked Hunk, daring to hope.

Allura smiled sadly and shook her head.

“No. He’s gone.”

-

“Guys! Guys! It worked! You _have_ to come see!” yelled Pidge. Fat tears fell from her face but she was smiling from ear to ear.

“Pidge? What’s wrong?” Shiro frowned.

“Absolutely nothing! Just get everyone and come see!”

Shiro rounded up Keith, Hunk, and Allura but couldn’t find Coran. He distantly heard Pidge saying not to worry and to just hurry up already.

They followed Pidge’s voice to the chamber that used to house Alfor’s A.I. Hunk gulped.

_No, couldn’t be…_

“Ta-da!!!” yelled Pidge and Coran.

The entire room illuminated to bright light. As it settled it revealed a gorgeous beach in a morning sunrise.

And who was standing there on the platform in the center but Lance, in all of his translucent, staticky glory.

And a big smile on his face.

“Hi, guys!”

“LANCE!” cried Hunk. He ran and threw himself into Lance’s arms, half expecting to run right through him. Instead Lance squeezed him back.

“I can feel this” said Lance, in awe.

“Me too” sniffled Hunk.

“I- Coran- _how?”_ asked Allura.

“Me and Coran spent forever altering the computer systems and transferring data from the cryopod! Also, we used a strand of Lance’s hair to clarify some missing DNA data.”

“Eww, wait, was that before or after he died?” asked Hunk. Pidge smirked and raised an eyebrow.

“So, hey, where _is_ my body?” asked Lance.

“Um, it’s ah, s-sorry, I-” said Shiro, getting all choked up and wiping tears away. “It’s back in a cryopod, on the freezing setting. We were hoping to preserve it for a funeral on earth later.”

Hunk was turning green. “No more dead body talk. Please.”

Keith approached hesitantly. Almost afraid. After running over to find Lance so horribly injured on that fateful day… was this even real?

“Keith, my man, I know what you’re thinking” said Lance. “Coran was the same way- he was all ‘but technically it isn’t really you! It’s a memory, or a clone, just like Alfor!’ and I get that he was grieving and everything but, dudes. It’s _me._ Okay, so maybe I’m not real, but I _feel_ real. If I didn’t already know what this room was then when I woke up I would’ve thought I was still human and be wondering why I couldn’t leave this circle-thingy.”

Keith shook his head fondly. “I can’t believe your rant kind of makes sense.”

“Course it does” said Lance. He sat down, cross-legged. “If my body’s in the pod and my mind is in a computer, where’s my soul? Here with my mind? Maybe it’s in Heaven already.”

Keith shook his head. “I don’t know. I was never religious.”

“Well, this whole thing is a miracle right here!” said Lance, gesturing towards himself. Keith smiled.

“Hey, Lance. Is this where you grew up?” asked Shiro softly, watching the golden waves.

“Yeah, sort of! My favorite vacation spot back home” replied Lance.

“Playa Varadero” said Coran. Lance gave a gentle smile his way.

“You remembered.”

Allura approached Lance and rested a hand on his cheek. She looked out over the water.

“It’s beautiful” she said.

Lance’s face glowed with Altean markings, and he touched them reverently.

**Author's Note:**

> I named it Phoenix because he burned to death and was reborn into a computer.
> 
> As for why Lance couldn’t have used his jetpack over the bridge- I forgot the jetpack existed.


End file.
